He’s visibly excited to negotiate a weekly Wednesday date.
Wait, this isn’t a date. It’s more like a book club meeting.
“Perfect. Same time next week, then? I’ll pick you up at seven.”
He pays the bill and takes me home. He walks me to my front door and waits until I open it. Chivalry is not dead.
Before turning to leave, he bends over and brushes his soft lips against my forehead. I’m certain he’ll give me another one of his panty-twisting kisses, but sadly, he doesn’t. I set the rules, and he’s playing by them.
Chapter Eight
Thursday afternoon, I fill out paperwork and watch safety videos. Friday, I arrive at eight o’clock and meet Trevor on the third floor, where the public relations and advertising offices are located.
He takes me on a tour of the building, but thankfully we avoid the executive offices. I don’t want Damon to know I’m working for his company. It’s important for me to have an authentic experience, one that won’t be changed by his influence.
Trevor sits down with me and outlines the grand opening plans. The official party will take place on June fifteenth. The complex features ten bars within six distinctive environments. Ahz includes three ultra-modern dance floors complete with state-of-the-art audio and visual enhancements. It hosts a ninety-foot stage for live musical performances, a modern VIP lounge, and a rooftop terrace offering spectacular skyline views.
The first floor has Anthony Haywood’s. The fifth floor contains the VIP lounge. Floors two through four make up the live performance venues. The sixth floor is rather unique. It has a glass floor so the people in the VIP lounge can see everything that’s happening above them, and vice versa. Trevor plans to take me on a tour of the entire building next week.
He outlines my duties, which means I’m basically the go-to girl for everything no one else wants to do, and I’m okay with that. I’m excited to be here, soaking everything in like a sponge.
Trevor gives me his background, telling me he went to school back east and has been working for Noble Enterprises for five years. He has successfully opened over half the clubs for Zenith with the most recent opening in London.
“How was working in London?”
“It’s different from opening a club here. We always open with a top-rated performer, and they always have specific things they require. In London, we opened with an American band. Have you heard of Mystic Mavens?”
“Yes, they’re not my cup of tea, but they have a huge following.”
“They also have huge egos, and here’s where we come in. It’s our responsibility to secure the act, but we also have to make them happy. That’s the biggest challenge. Mystic Mavens were impossible.” He grumbles something unintelligible. “They insisted on American-made products. They wanted special drinks and special foods, special lotions, and specific toilet paper,” he explains. “We paid them an extravagant amount of money, yet they continued to make demands. They wanted gift bags in their rooms that contained everything from L’Occitane to Cartier. I had to charter a private plane to deliver everything they required, and we had to pay a fortune in import taxes.”
“Wow. That must have been pricey. What did you learn from the experience?”
“I learned I should hire a local band,” he says as he laughs. “In the end, the opening was a success, and the London location is one of our most profitable sites.”
“What’s the key to your success?” I have three months to learn everything I can from him, so I’ll ask questions until he turns blue from answering me.
“I think it’s all in the details. The big things are easy. Booking the entertainment is the small stuff. It’s everything that happens in between the concept and opening day that matters.” Shifting in his chair, he continues. “You need to know everything that’s happening in the world. If there is a caviar shortage, you don’t want to have it on the menu for your grand opening. If your guest of honor is allergic to nuts, don’t serve baklava. Anticipate everything and everyone’s needs. That way, you won’t get caught unprepared.”
“Who is the opening act for Ahz?” I ask.
“That will remain a secret, but it will be the biggest thing happening in the Los Angeles area this summer. I’m going to have you help me come up with gift packages for our VIP guests. We need one hundred gift bags, and your budget is one thousand dollars.”
“I have to make one hundred memorable gifts, and I only have a budget of one thousand dollars?” My voice sounds panicked.
“You have a budget of a thousand dollars for each gift.” Trevor shows me to the cubicle I’ll use during my internship. “There’s a list of previous sponsors on your desk. Sometimes companies will donate their products to get exposure. Feel free to call any of these sponsors and or companies you feel would benefit from an opening like ours. I imagine the value of each gift bag will range between five thousand and ten thousand dollars when it’s all said and done.” He rises from his chair and walks to the door. “I’m heading out for the rest of the day. I want you to work on the gifts. I’ll meet you here on Monday at eight o’clock so we can take a ride to Ahz. Have a great weekend, Kat.”
I feel overwhelmed with the major undertaking he assigned. Sitting in front of me is a list of over one hundred sponsors, from Tiffany’s to Oakley. I look over the various companies and place stars next to the places that make sense. I want these gift bags to mean something. Anything having to do with dining, music, entertainment, or food stays. I place all other products on a secondary list. Companies like Tiffany’s and Pandora stay on a maybe list. They may have items that fit in with the theme, like a cool charm or key chain. I’ll contact them if I need anything additional for the bags. Within an hour, I have reduced the list to fifty potential companies.
Two hours later, I have placed calls to twenty-seven of them. Seven have guaranteed a donation, and I’ll follow up with the rest on Monday. I’d love it if I didn’t have to spend anything on the gift bags. If I could get everything donated, I could save the company a hundred thousand dollars. It’s probably a pittance to a corporation as large as Noble Enterprises, but I’d feel a great sense of accomplishment if I could do that. It would also look great on my resume.
Clocking out for the day, I take the stairs to the garage. I try to avoid places where I might run into Damon, and since his offices are on the top floor, I imagine he takes the elevator each day. Five flights of stairs several days a week will give me a good workout, as well as keep me out of sight.
“Hey, Kat. How was your first real day at work?” Em calls from the kitchen as I walk in the front door. Something smells amazing, and I hope she’s made enough for two.
“It was so good. Trevor is a great guy. He was thorough and made me feel comfortable.” I inch toward the stove to see what’s in the pot she’s stirring. “I avoided Damon, so that’s a plus.”
“Will you ever tell him you’re interning at his company?”
“Not if I can help it. I don’t want him interfering in my experience. I don’t want to get special treatment because I know him.” I look over her shoulder. “Is that spaghetti I smell?”